Curtain-operating mechanism



May 11 1926. 1,584,009

P. CLARK ET AL CURTAIN OPERATING MECHANI SM Filed March 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 11', 1926. 1,584,009

P. CLARK ET AL CURTAJ IN OPERATING MECHANISM Filed March 10, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 11v ENTORS. 4G1, a

ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 11, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER CLARK, OF GLEN RIDGE, NEW ERSEY, AND THOMAS B. MODONALD, OF TROY,

NEW YORK.

CURTAIN-OPERATING MECHANISM.

Application filed March 10, 1922. Serial No. 542,543.

The invention relates to means for operating curtains and more particularly to stage. curtains of the type supported at the top and parted vertically at the center, and which are drawn in both directions, and which when drawn to disclose the stage, each half of which is concealed from'the front by a side of the proscenium arch.

The objects of the invention are to provide such a curtain which may be manipulated without strains upon the same; in which the curtain will be supported at regular intervals; in which the withdrawal of the curtain will not be dependent upon the curtain; in which each half of the curtain will present the same aspect to the audience while being withdrawn as when it is set; in which the curtain will not be folded or bunched 1-. view of the audience; and by means of which thecurtain maybe manipulated with a minimum of power.

These and further objects will more fully appear in the following specification and accompanying drawings considered together or separately.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like parts in all of the several figures are designated by similar characters of references, and in which Fig. l is a diagrammatic view from the front of a stage, the proscenium arch being. shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the groove in which the curtain is supported.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan View of the operating line, showing the curtain partly withdrawn.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the curtain supporting and operating mechanism, with the side casing removed, and showing a curtain section partly withdrawn.

Fig. Fig. 4. v

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of F ig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a detail section on the line 8-8 of a 1 lg. .1.

Fig. i) is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing a modification, and

i0 is a detail plan View showing another lllfitiliiCtttiOll.

z) is a section on the line 5-5 of In the drawings 1 represents the floor of a stage, 2 the proscenium'arch and 3 the sides of the arch which screen the sides of the stage from the View of the audience, and behind which the curtain, lighting and other mechanical effects are manipulated.

Positioned above and behind the spring of the arch is a curtain groove comprisinu a pair of track members a and 7) arranged on the same horizontal plane. bers are positioned side by side with their ends overlapping at the center of the arch, as shown in Fig.2. The opposite ends of the members are positioned behind the sides .3 of the arch.

' Each track member comprises an elongated frame composed of side supports 4 and 5 spaced apart, as by means of brackets or cleats 6 disposed at intervals in the length of the members, and on thetop edges thereof,

The mem but it is to be understood that instead of the cleats or brackets the supports 4 and 5 may be secured together by a strip extending the entire length of the member as is obvious.

of the arch 2. At the center of the stage the brackets or cleats 6 extend over both track members and secure the same together as shown.

Carried on the inside of each side support is a plurality, preferabl three, rails or guides 7, 8 and 9' the rai s of one support being opposed to those of the other and there being a space (the groove proper) between the opposed sides of the rails. The rails 7, 8 and 9 form between them two guideways 10 and 11 as shown. The bottom rails 9, 9 are preferably wider than the rails 7 and 8 whereby the width of the groove is materially reduced at this point.

It is to be understood that instead of the upper rails 7, 7 a solid top member extending across and closing the groove at the top, may be employed. In Fig. 9 the above described construction is shown. In" the modification the side supports and the top are formed of sheet metal, and the top mem- I curtain sections is supported. The depending portion of the carriage also is provided with means, such as clips 16, by means of which an operating cable or line 17 may be attached thereto.

To the axle of one of the rollers, preferably that in the groove 11, and farthest from the free edge of the curtain, is pivoted the free link 18 of a lazytong structure, the anchor link 19 of which is pivoted on a fixed axle 20 located behind one of the sides 3. On each end of each pivot pin 20 of the links of the lazytong, except at the anchor end, is a roller 21 or 22 as the case may be. The rollers 21 travel in the guideways 10, and the rollers 22 travel'in the guideways 11.

Carried on the axle of each roller 22 is a depending hanger 23 which extends through the groove to the same distance as does the carriage, and each hanger is provided with curtain supporting means whereby the samemay be supported at regu lar intervals.

At the outer extremity of each track member, i. e. that portion behind {the side 2, each of the rails 8 is inclined upward and the extremity 24 thereof is on a higher planethan the body of the rail. The side supports 4 and 5 and rails 7, when used, also extended upward, as shown, to form a pocket 25. The upper surface of each extremity 24 is provided with a rubber, or other bumper 26 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The curtain operating line 17 is an endless cable passing over a single sheave 27 at one side of the stage behind a side 2 and over a pair of sheafis 28- at the opposite side of the stage. From the sheaves 28 the line 17 passes downward to and @around a winding apparatus, which may be a Windlass, but is preferably a sprocket wheel 29 engaged by a section 30 of chain which forms part of the line 17. The apparatus 29- is preferably mounted on a pedestal which in turn is supported on the stage floor behind one of the sides 3, although it is to be understood that it may be placed in the flies if desired,

One side of the line 17 in the bight between the sheaves 27 and 21 is secured to the carriage a. and the other side of the line is secured to the carriage in such positions when the curtain is down the edge 14 of the curtain section 15 which is attached to the carriage cl will lap the edge 1.4 of the section 15 which is carried by the carriage 0, and the first part of the movement in drawing the curtain sections aside will cause the edges 14 and 14 to approach each other, and as the carriages 0 and d are on different vertical planes the edges will not interfere.

' The operation is as follows When the curtain is down the parts will be in the position shown in Fig. 1.

WVhen it is desired to withdraw the curtain sections 15 and 15 to disclose the stage, the sprocket wheel 29 is rotated in the clock wise direction, as by means of a crank 31. The carriage 0 will be drawn to the right, and the carriage at will be drawn to the left in Fig. 1.

These movements of the carriages will tend to fold the link sections between each carriage and the nearest hanger 23 thereto but the engagement ofthe rollers 21 with the rails 7, or the top 12 of the housing as the case may be, will prevent such folding, and that portion of each lazytong between each carriage and a pocket 25, will be moved away from the center of the stage with the links in the same relative positions as when the curtain is down.

As the lazytongs are pushed by the carriages the rollers 21 at the sides of the stage will engage the inclined portions of the tracks 8, and as those links in the pockets 25 are in partly folded position and as the rails 7 no longer are in position to be engaged by the rollers 21, the lazytongs will be folded in the pockets 25 beginning with the link 19.

By this means those portions of the curtain sections exposed to view will be bodily moved aside, they will not-be folded, gathered or wrinkled in view of the audience, and any design or ornamentation on the curtain will remain in view until it disappears behind one of the sides 2.

lVhen the lazytongs are in completely folded position, as shown in Fig. 4, the rollers 21 are not in contact with the rails 8 or extensions 24.

WVhen the curtain is rung down the crank 31 is rotated in the anticlockwise direction and the sections 15 and 15" will be moved outward to close the stage by movements the reverse of those above described.

As the links are moved out-ward from the folded position, shown at the right in Fig. 4, the rollers 21 will engage the bumpers 26 which will deaden the; sound and prevent injury to the parts.

All of the rollers 13, 21 and 22 may be carried in the ball bearings as shown, as may-the other rotating elements in the de vice.

While the invention is illustrated as in connection with a stage curtain, it is obcorner of the curtain may, if desired, be

secured to any other stationary object.

It will be understood that the invention may, if desired, be carried out with a single curtain to be drawn from one side of the arch, or other .openin ,to the other, in which case one track mem er a or b will be employed.

Instead of forming the track or groove. of two members a and b with their inner ends overlapping as shown, it is obvious that a single member having a pocket 2 L at each end thereof may be used. In this case the ends 14 and 14 of the curtain will not be lapped but will abut.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes the principle of the invention has been described, together with the apparatus which is now considered to represent the best embodiment therof, but it is desired to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that the invention may be carried out in other ways.

e invention having been described What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows 1. Apparatus of the character described, comprising an element composed of links pivoted together in series, there being a pin at each pivotal point, the link at one extremity being pivoted at one of its ends to a stationary member, a pair of parallel op- .posed rails, each alternate pi'n engaging between and movable along said rails for maintaining the links in a definite zig-zag formatron for a portion of the length of the element, a third rail, each alternate pin engaging said third rail, means engaging the link at the free extremity of the element for moving said free end of the element toward the stationary end thereof, said maintaining means preventing relative movement of the links, and a curtain suspended from the element.

2. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a track member having a track consisting of opposed horizontal rails, a second track consisting of opposed horizontal rails disposed above the first mentioned track, the second track being parallel to the first track for the greater portion of its length, a portion of thesecond track being inclined upwardly, a series of pivoted links disposed between the rails, the pins of one end of each link being supported on the first track and the pins .of the opposite ends of- 1 the links being supported on the second track, one extremity of the linkage system.

being anchored to a stationary pivot member, and means for moving the system toward the anchor, whereby said links will be moved relatively toeach other by engage ment of the last mentioned pins with the inclined portion of the second track, and a curtain suspended from the links.

3. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a pair of elongated elements, an end of'one element adjoining an end of the other element, said elements extending in opposite directions, each element comprising a track member having a track having opposed upper and lower track treads, a second track having opposed upper and lower track treads disposed above the first mentioned track, the second track being parallel to the first track for the greater portionof its length, a portion of the second track being inclined upwardly, a series of pivoted links disposed between the rails, the pins of one end of each link being supported between the treads of the first track and the pins of the opposite ends of the links being supported between the treads of the second track, each of said linkage systems extending the length of an element, one extremity of each linkage system being anchored to a stationary pivot member at the extremity of its element farthest from the 'endwhich adjoins'the other element, and means for moving the free end of each system toward its anchor, and a.cur-

tem.

4 Apparatus of the character described,

comprising. a track member having a pair of horizontally opposed grooves, said member having a second pair of horizontally opposed igher K tions, a lazytong device disposed between the 5 opposed grooves of the pairs, the pivot pins of the links of the lazytong carrying a roller at each extremity thereof, alternate pins being supported on the rollers in the first mentioned grooves, the other pins being supported on the rollers in: the second mentioned grooves and on the inclined walls thereof, the pin at one extremity of the lazytong device being statioiiary to form an anchor, a

line secured to the opposite extremity of the lazytong for moving said extremity toward the anchor, whereby the linkssupported in the parallel portions of the grooves will be movedtoward the anchor without change in 1 their relative positions.

5. Apparatus of the character described,

'tain suspended from the links of each sys-gm comprising parallel members horizontally arranged and spaced apart, there being a pair of horizontally opposed grooves one on each side of the space, said grooves extending the entire length of the member, there being a second pair of horizontally opposed grooves in the members on a higher plane, the latter pair being parallel to the former pair for the greater portion of the length of the member, the lower wall of each of the second mentioned grooves being inclined upwardly near the extremities of the members, the upper walls of said grooves terminating in the vicinity of the inclined portions, a

lazytong element having an anchor in each extremity of the member, each element extending to the center of the member, the pivot pins of the elements being supported alternately in the first mentioned groove and in the second mentioned groove, a curtain suspended from each lazytong, and means for moving the free ends of the lazytongs in opposite directions to withdraw the curtains.

This specification signed and witnessed this 21st day of October, 1921.

PETER CLARK. THOMAS B. MCDONALD. 

